Retail Sector: Graduate Employment, Skills, and Recruitment Strategy

This report provides a briefing for a chief executive on the graduate employment market and emerging trends, focusing on the retail industry. It presents statistical information on graduate employment relevant to the retail sector and analyzes the graduate skills (soft skills) required in the 21st century. The report includes recommendations for the CEO on a recruitment strategy to attract high-caliber candidates to the industry, identifying key skills and attributes based on literature. It emphasizes the importance of communication, research, technological, active listening, and decision-making skills for marketing roles in retail. The report concludes with recommendations for hiring skilled employees, including leveraging social media for recruitment, conducting practical interviews, and valuing diversity and inclusion. Desklib provides students with access to past papers and solved assignments.

Workplace
employability
assignment
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Retail industry........................................................................................................................3
Preferred graduate skills.........................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
Recommendations............................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES:...............................................................................................................................6
Books and Journals.................................................................................................................6
Online.....................................................................................................................................6
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INTRODUCTION
There is key role of employability in the success of a person and helps them to attain their
goals and objectives. The students must be aware about the opportunities that are present in the
market and grab them so that better results ae attained (Guo, Qiu and Gan, 2022). This report is
based on career opportunity in retail industry. The skills required to get the job and the skills that
relevant soft skills in 21st century are mentioned in the report. The right strategy is recommended
that helps to hire the skilled employees in the company.
MAIN BODY
Retail industry
Retail industry covers a huge part in United Kingdoms and they consist of over 300,000
separate businesses. The industry provides a lot of job opportunities and represents over 8% of
overall UK jobs. Most important goods are provided by retail industry and there are good
chances of growth by meeting the needs and wants of the customers. The retail sales were around
£421 billion in 2021 (UK Retail Stats and Facts, 2022). The retail sector contributes 5% to gross
domestic product of UK. There are high sales opportunities that have growth after the use of
online technology. Along with that it is one of the most competitive industry and the healthy
competition helps them to work in better manner. It is seen that the business enterprises have to
face various challenges while operating. The pandemic situation caused various issues in retail
industry and reduced the sale as well. The use of online business helped the business
organisation in retail sector to carry on the operations in best suitable manner. They were able to
sell their products and services via online delivery and satisfy the requirements of customers.
There is need of regular research in the market as the new trends come on rapid basis (Nash,
2018). Also, the preferences of customers also change and that enhances the need of studying the
market. There is need of managing the work in such a manner best is being provided to the
customers and this helps retail sector to grow.
Preferred graduate skills
There are various skills that are being taught at the time of graduation and helps the students
to get employment effectively. There is key role of developing such skills so that an individual is
able to get good job (Hanaysha, Al Shaikh and Alzoubi, 2021). The skills required to get a job of
marketing in the retail sector are as follows:
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Communication skills: There is key role of communication skills in interacting with the
customers and analysing their needs and wants. It becomes important to know about to take
feedback from the customers and enhance their experience is carrying the work effectively.
Research skills: The individuals having good and effective research skills are able to know
about the trend in market (Yang, 2018). They are able to manage the working better and provide
effective experience to the customers. It becomes necessary to know about the better working of
the business carrying the work effectively.
Technological skills: It becomes necessary to make the use of technology in effective
manner as the trends are changing. The use of updated technology helps the marketing personnel
to carry on all the work with use of latest technology and achieve effective position in market.
The use of digital marketing is in high trend and there is need of using online marketing in retail
sector. In regard to use latest technology the organisation is able to attain successful position in
market.
Active listening skills: There is requirement of listening skills so that the needs and wants
of customers are analysed. It becomes necessary to hear the customers and understand their
requirements (Sima and et.al., 2020). The listening skills helps to understand the customers in a
better way and then provide them the products accordingly. There are various situations that take
place in which the marketing executive of retail sector provide feedback and helps them to
manage the work in effective manner.
Decision making skills: There are various complex situations that take place at the time of
working in an organisation. There is a lot of competition being present in the market and the
marketing person of retail sector has to take right decision so that they are able to come out of
complex situation is effective manner.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that there is huge scope in retail sector. It is
necessary for the students to select best field as per their area of interest so that they are able to
work effectively. The important statistics related to retail sector are mentioned. There is key role
of having graduate skills so that proper working in the sector takes place. In the end
recommendations to hire the best employees for the sector are mentioned.
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Recommendations
There is need of employees who are skilled and have calibre to manage the working. It is
necessary to have right recruitment and hiring strategy that will help to attain the objectives of
organisation. There are certain points that CEO of businesses in retail sector must consider in
order to hire the most suitable candidates. The recommendations are as follows:
 There is need of posting the requirements on social media and other relevant platforms
from where proper leads take place. It helps to have better options and shortlisting the
candidates based on the CV helps to eliminate the irrelevant choices. The desired skills
must be matched at the time of shortlisting the candidates.
 It is important to take a practical interview and have 2 to 3 rounds. This helps to check
the aptitude, stress as well knowledge of the candidate. Asking all the relevant questions
and explaining the job role so that candidate is also able to make right choice.
 It is also important to value diversity and inclusion in today’s time. This helps to hire the
best candidates that are able to give creative ideas for the growth and success of the
business organisation.
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REFERENCES:
Books and Journals
Guo, J., Qiu, Y. and Gan, Y., 2022. Workplace incivility and work engagement: The mediating
role of job insecurity and the moderating role of self‐perceived
employability. Managerial and Decision Economics, 43(1). pp.192-205.
Hanaysha, J. R., Al Shaikh, M. E. and Alzoubi, H. M., 2021. Importance of marketing mix
elements in determining consumer purchase decision in the retail
market. International Journal of Service Science, Management, Engineering, and
Technology (IJSSMET), 12(6). pp.56-72.
Nash, J., 2018. Exploring how social media platforms influence fashion consumer decisions in
the UK retail sector. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An
International Journal.
Sima and et.al., 2020. Influences of the industry 4.0 revolution on the human capital
development and consumer behavior: A systematic review. Sustainability, 12(10),
p.4035.
Yang, M., 2018. International entrepreneurial marketing strategies of MNCs: Bricolage as
practiced by marketing managers. International Business Review, 27(5). pp.1045-
1056.
Online
UK Retail Stats and Facts, 2022. [Online] Available through: <
https://www.retaileconomics.co.uk/library-retail-stats-and-facts>
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